Invincible Summer
by mezzosangue
Summary: When Severus asks Hermione to work with him, he really doesn't know what he's asking for. When Hermione says no, it's just the beginning. Canon Compliant, disregards Epilogue. Eventual SS/HG romance.
1. Winter's Chill

**Invincible Summer**

Author's Note: This is a completed work at just over 10,000 words. This story is more of a sketch than a portrait. Just shaded charcoal lines here and there to give you an image. I hope you enjoy it. Also, the first chapter has an original character, but she does not play a large role in the fiction, and she is not prominent in other chapters. Severus is a bit OOC in this story. _Inkspots_ fans will recognize "my Severus", but it is a completely different story. It is post-Hogwarts by about five years. Fluffy and romantic, rated T for language, no lemons to be found.

Disclosure: JK Rowling created and rightfully owns Harry Potter. I simply aim to give you a few happy minutes ignoring the pile of dirty laundry, as we imagine our favorite book characters living on past Deathly Hallows.

"In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me

there lay an invincible summer."

― Albert Camus

**Chapter 1: Winter's Chill**

"Is tomorrow the big day?" Lauren asked.

Severus shrugged his shoulders. "It's supposed to be, but we'll see."

Lauren looked back at Severus in disbelief. "Surely she'll show up. Right?"

Severus nodded. "I think she'll show up, but I don't think it will go any further. I don't have a good feeling about it."

"You're such a pessimist, Severus. For weeks you've gone on and on about this woman, about how she'll be perfect, how she's so intelligent, _et cetera_, and now all of a sudden, you don't have a good feeling about it? Then why the hell did you work so hard to get her to come for an interview?"

Severus scowled at her. "You don't understand."

"Hell, Severus, if I don't understand you, you're in trouble. Enlighten me."

"Yes, she'll come for the interview; yes, I think she's perfect for the job. I don't think she'll take the job."

"Why the hell not?" Lauren asked incredulously.

Severus chuckled. "Lauren, you need your blonde head examined. Come by my lab after work. I'll have one of my village idiots run some diagnostics."

"Yes, you're hilarious. Talk to me, Severus!"

"Lauren, what was your first job with me?"

"Protecting you."

"As you would say," Severus began, "bullshit."

Lauren laughed, a deep, resonating sound that Severus always felt didn't match Lauren's willowy, feminine frame. He couldn't help but smile every time she laughed, which is probably why they became friends so quickly five years ago.

"All right," she conceded. "But I did protect you!"

"Yes, you did," he said softly.

"Are things really so bad, still?"

"No," Severus answered quickly. "Things are much better. You know that. But this is different."

"Why is it so different?" Lauren seemed sad on his behalf, which was a balm to Severus.

"Hermione and I have a contentious past, and she probably has a dozen great job opportunities already lined up. I don't think she'll be able to see past me and our past to look at the job."

"Well, you said she's intelligent, so I expect she'll surprise you," Lauren said cheerfully, looking down at her watch. "Let's go, your village idiots need their chief."

They vanished the remains of their lunches and walked toward the cafeteria doors. Severus turned to Lauren and started their weekly ritual of saying goodbye. "Goodbye, Brawn."

"Bye, Brains! I'll see you tomorrow!" And with that, Lauren turned to walk toward the stairs toward the lobby of St. Mungo's where she could floo to the Ministry of Magic.

"Wait! What's tomorrow?" Severus called out.

Lauren turned back to face Severus. "You've been talking about this Hermione for months! You don't think I'm going to stay away, do you?"

Severus shook his head at Lauren as she turned back around and watched her as she went down the stairwell. It looked as though he would be inundated with strong-willed females tomorrow.

When Severus arrived at work the following morning, he entered the lab and breathed deeply. He had done the same thing every morning for the last five years. Most people wrinkled their nose in distaste when the smells of potions and potion ingredients greeted them in his personal lab, but not Severus. To him, it was the smell of peace and life. He stepped into the adjoining, larger lab to write down the potions that he wanted his team working on that day. After five years of trying to direct younger, less capable brewers, he had found that it was best if he communicated to them in writing as much as possible. He had taught many of the brewers, and the ones he hadn't taught were quickly filled in that Severus was a harsh taskmaster. Severus sighed. In five years, he had escaped much of his past: he had escaped Hogwarts, he had escaped war and imprisonment, and he had escaped death. He couldn't, however, escape his reputation. And so much of it wasn't true, or wasn't true anymore, he thought sardonically.

He mused that it would be good when today was over. These last few months trying to get Hermione to come in for an interview had brought back memories from Hogwarts and the war more than usual and had been tough, to say the least. Hermione Granger was probably the only person worth Severus going through such efforts. And he was pretty certain that all of his efforts would be for naught.

Even five years after the war, Hermione was always in the Daily Prophet for some reason or other, usually for something frivolous, scandalous and completely untrue. But Severus made sure to follow Hermione's academic path. She had gone back to Hogwarts to re-do the Seventh Year that she missed hunting Horcruxes. Completely useless exercise, he thought, but that had been her choice. When she finally sat her NEWTs, she had completely wiped out every record, including his own. No surprise there. He would have approached her for an apprenticeship at that point, but he had not been in a position to do so.

After Hogwarts, she went to a small wizarding University embedded within Cambridge University. It became the scandal of the year when it broke that Hermione was taking muggle courses, as well. Hermione was one of the few witches that embraced both of her cultures. When Severus found out that she was studying to complete both a wizarding degree, as well as a muggle degree from Cambridge, he continued following both of her paths of study. Thankfully, the Cambridge University newspaper, _The Cambridge Student_, could be delivered via owl through his connections to a professor there. At least the Cambridge newspaper did not vilify Hermione. She was notable even among the brilliant minds at Cambridge. On the other hand, during her senior year at Cambridge, she became the Daily Prophet's favorite pariah. She graduated, in two separate ceremonies, from Cambridge five months ago. Four months ago, he had olwed her to request that she meet him for tea regarding her future career choices. Four owls and four refusals. The fifth time, he laid it all out for her, asking her to come for an interview. He expected a final refusal, but was greatly pleased when she accepted.

He busied himself with his latest potion as he waited for Hermione to arrive. When his wards alerted him that she had arrived, he put a stasis on his potion and opened the door.

"Hello, Professor Snape."

Severus knew that this was bound to be a hard re-introduction, but three words in, and it was already hard. There was no smile from Hermione, nor any of the spark that he was accustomed to. He expected her to have changed quite a bit from the last time they saw each other, but he didn't know this woman at all.

Trying to rein in his apprehension, he smiled at Hermione. "Hello, Miss Granger. Please come in," he gestured for her to sit in one of his guest chairs, where he sat facing her.

"Professor Snape," Hermione began, but Severus interrupted.

"Please call me Severus. May I call you Hermione?" he asked.

Still no smile from Hermione. "Can we get to the point, Severus? I am really only here out of respect. I don't know what you think you can gain from having me come to St. Mungo's, but I'm here for 15 minutes, so I suggest you begin."

"All right, the point. I need a colleague here at St. Mungo's, and I have every faith that you would elevate the research and development that I do here, as well as give you an excellent facility to further your own research."

"No."

Severus contemplated trying to sell the job and the perks to Hermione, but at that moment, he knew that it wasn't the job that she was rejecting. "All right. Thank you for your time, Miss Granger." They both got out of their chairs, and Hermione was gathering her bag and coat when Severus' door opened. There was only one person who could pass through his wards besides Severus. Severus inwardly groaned as he saw Lauren's blond hair peek into the lab, looking for him.

"Ah, there you are, Brains!" Lauren cheerfully called out. She walked toward them, hand extended to Hermione. "You must be Hermione. I have heard so much about you!"

Hermione's iciness extended to Lauren, too, it seemed. "No doubt. And you are?" Hermione asked, looking between Severus and Lauren.

Lauren's hand fell to her side as her smile fell. Severus couldn't decide if he wanted Lauren to just let Hermione go, or if he wanted to see the fireworks that he knew were coming.

"Hermione, this is Lauren Starnes. Lauren, this is Hermione Granger. She was just leaving."

"Are you not taking the job?" Lauren asked Hermione, incredulously.

"No, I'm not interested in working with, working here," Hermione corrected.

"What a little shit you are," Lauren began. "Severus has gone on and on about you for the last two months. About your wizarding degrees and how your muggle degrees in both biology and chemistry were such an amazing accomplishment, and how you two together could solve so many problems and heal so many hurting people. He told me that you were nothing like what the Daily Prophet makes you out to be. But you are just like them," she finished heatedly, gesturing to the adjoining lab. "Village idiots that think they know Severus. You are a…" but Severus held his hand up for Lauren to stop.

"You know about my muggle degrees?" asked Hermione, staring at Severus, engaged for the first time.

"Yes, Miss Granger. I have kept up with your education. All of it." He walked to the door and held it open for Hermione, who stood rooted to the spot.

"Start over, please, Severus," she stated tentatively, and she sat down once more.

Lauren remained standing, fuming at Hermione, still. Severus shut the door and walked over to Lauren. "Would you like to stay, Lauren?" he teased, smirking at her, knowing how much she hated theoretical potions discussions.

Lauren rolled her eyes at Severus. "Will you be fine?" she asked, gesturing with her eyes at Hermione.

"I think I can manage, thanks."

Lauren scowled at Hermione, and then huffed at Severus. "I've got to go," she said grouchily. "I've missed half of lunch already." She then turned to leave.

She was almost at the door when Severus called to her back, "Hey! Thanks for dropping by, Brawn…"

Lauren turned back to him and scowled, then smiled. "Bye, Brains."

Severus turned back to Hermione, who looked like she just seen a three-headed dog, again.

"Who is she?" Hermione asked curiously, as Severus sat down again.

"Lauren's a friend. She was assigned to protect me when I first started at St. Mungo's. Well, that's not entirely true…" Severus explained.

"Since when do you need protection?" Hermione asked.

"Well, apparently, someone needs protection if I am in the room," Severus said tiredly. "She was originally assigned to me under the guise of making the employees of St. Mungo's feel protected. It quickly changed, however, when I was attacked at work. Lauren has saved my life at least once. Most of the attacks were not life threatening, but a few were. I haven't needed protection for a couple of years, so they changed her assignment about eighteen months ago. She's still quite protective of me, though, as you can see."

"How old is she? I don't remember her from Hogwarts."

"She's a little older than you, but she didn't attend Hogwarts. Her parents sent her to a school in the United States. Two of her uncles were killed in the first war against Voldemort and her parents weren't taking any chances."

"She's quite interesting."

"It looks like a stiff wind could knock her over, but she's incredibly strong magically. And she cusses like a sailor. And she laughs like a old man," Severus smiled back at Hermione when Hermione laughed at the picture Severus was painting.

"And she thinks I'm a 'little shit,'" Hermione said, laughing.

"Yes, she does," Severus agreed.

"I am an arse for the way I treated you. I apologize," Hermione said, sighing.

"Why did you come here if you hate me?" he asked levelly.

"I don't hate you!" Hermione said strongly. "I don't know you. Obviously…" she trailed off.

"Then why?" Severus asked, gesturing to the air between them.

"I'll be honest, Severus. I am about to give up the wizarding world. People treat me horribly. I never know from person to person what they will choose to see. Will they see me as the stuck-up hero that I am not? Or will they see me as a whore, which I definitely am not! Am I the traitor that has turned her back on the wizarding world after the wizarding world has been oh-so-good to me? Now that one is a possibility!"

"You don't owe anyone anything, Hermione," Severus stated levelly. "You bled for them, were tortured for them, were willing to die for them. No one should ask anything more of you. They should not treat you the way they do." He paused. "I would not judge you for leaving."

Hermione furrowed her brow slightly at Severus. After a moment she quietly asked, "Are we talking about me, or you?"

Severus chuckled darkly. "Yes, well, a lot of people who almost died for our world are treated miserably."

"No, they're not, Severus. Harry and Ron are the happy heroes; Kingsley is the sainted Minister that can do no wrong. Why us? Why are we the new villains?" She paused. "Why don't you leave?" she asked, curious.

"This," he said, in way of an answer, gesturing to his lab. "And Lauren. Draco. I'm best man in his wedding next month – did you hear that Draco's getting married?" He smirked at her eye-roll. You would have to live under a rock not to know about Draco's upcoming nuptials. They were in the Daily Prophet even more than Hermione. "If I didn't have my research," he continued, "or didn't have supportive friends, I wouldn't be here."

Hermione smiled. "I'm glad to see you have both. Truly, Severus. All right, tell me about the research you're doing, and about how this came about."

Severus smirked back at Hermione. "Albus, of course."

"Do you want to turn in a circle and spit three times when you say his name?" Hermione joked. "Because I swear, I hold no charitable feelings for the man."

Severus raised his eyebrows. This definitely wasn't the compliant, naïve girl that he remembered. He quite liked this version better.

"No, not quite that bad," Severus answered. "He was a scheming bastard, but he really did care very much about the wizarding world. Which, by the way, is interesting, because he, like you, was incredibly powerful, and vilified many times over by the very people he fought to protect."

Hermione huffed in protest, but then smiled softly at him.

"Anyway, once the war was over, and I had survived, Chief Healer Whittington came to me as I was being discharged. He said that Albus held him in some kind of confidence and that he knew much of what Albus had asked of me. Albus wanted me to be able to leave Hogwarts after it was all over. Healer Whittington was excited to have a Potions Master on staff. I had done much of their more complicated brewing, even while at Hogwarts, so he already knew me and valued my skills. I had to endure the months of war trials, but then I was installed at St. Mungo's. I direct the dunderheads in the adjoining lab as they try their best to brew headache potion, and I'm free to research anything of a curative nature. Which is very, very broad in scope because it includes mental problems as well as physical."

"Ahhh… there's the Professor Snape that I know!" Hermione joked. "So, you're different than I remember, but not too different?"

Severus scowled at her. "It depends. If you're a dunderhead, there's probably very little difference. If you're a brilliant witch that I would like to work with, or if you're anyone who doesn't believe everything that the Daily Prophet prints about me, then I'm probably very different."

Hermione nodded in response.

"What would you like to do with your degrees? Chemistry and Biology, plus Healing and Potions." He paused. "Who are you trying to heal, Hermione?"

"I'm not trying to heal anyone in particular. But that is where I felt a void and a longing after the war. Too much pain. Too many scars." She searched his face, willing him to understand what she was saying.

Severus understood only too well. "Yes."

They digested each other's words for a moment, and then Severus continued. "Were you serious about leaving the wizarding world altogether?"

"Yes."

"What about your friends?"

"My friends mostly understand, but I think you're probably asking about Ron and Harry. Ron thinks I am just trying to get attention 'like normal.'" At this she looked down at the floor. Once she was able to meet his gaze again, she continued. "Harry doesn't understand at all, and he just asks me to stay, give it more time."

"Forgive me for saying this, but your muggle degrees don't go near as far in the muggle world as your wizarding degrees do in our world. You're at the top, education-wise, in our world. You're not in the muggle world."

"I know. I'd be continuing my education at another university, most likely."

Severus shook his head. "I meant what I said earlier, Hermione. A colleague. I'm looking for a colleague, not a junior brewer. You could do research here to your heart's content. We would make a formidable team. I value your muggle education. I know you and I together could do great things. We could cure people, now, Hermione, not five more years down the road once you're a qualified doctor."

He paused to let Hermione absorb his words.

"What other job offers are you considering?" he asked.

"None."

"What the hell are you talking about? You're not going to interviews?"

She looked at him squarely. "Yours is my only offer. In the wizarding world, anyway."

Severus was stunned. "I thought you wouldn't come because you didn't want me tarnishing your name."

Hermione shook her head. "I have no good name to tarnish. I didn't want to come because I couldn't bear to have one more reminder…" Her voice trailed off.

"Of what, Hermione?"

"Of Hogwarts, of sitting in a classroom wanting nothing more than to be a professor one day. A know-it-all with power!" she joked.

Severus and Hermione laughed together.

"Do you still want to be a professor?" Severus asked, curious.

"No, at this point, I'd be like you," she said, and then quickly added, "I don't mean offense by that. It's just that you were so wasted teaching children who didn't know which end of a cauldron was up. But when I see you and Minerva, I remember wanting to be a part of our world. I wanted to be more than just a part, really. Now I don't even have that." She smirked and shook her head in remembrance. "Merlin, how many cauldrons did Neville melt?"

Severus groaned. "First rule of my lab, Hermione. We do not utter Longbottom's name." He smirked at her smile. "You are right, though, you would feel stifled teaching. You would not feel stifled here, Hermione." He sighed deeply. "There is nothing right in this world if you, our best witch, do not even feel like you belong."

Hermione snorted inelegantly. "'Best witch.' By who's standard?"

"Mine," Severus said seriously. "Will you come work with me?"

Hermione looked at her lap for a moment before looking back into his eyes. "I will think about it, Severus."


	2. Spring's Thaw and Summer's Warmth

Disclosure: JK Rowling created and rightfully owns Harry Potter. I simply aim to give you a few happy minutes while your kid tries to find their elusive left shoe, as we imagine our favorite book characters living on past Deathly Hallows.

**Chapter 2: Spring's Thaw and Summer's Warmth**

Severus apparated into the alleyway three blocks away from St. Mungo's, in muggle London. He wanted to make sure he was early to the restaurant. Hermione's smile, which had popped into his mind altogether too many times in the previous weeks, materialized along with the woman, exactly on time.

"So much better," Hermione said playfully as she walked up to the booth where Severus was sitting.

"What?"

She sat across from him and gestured to his attire. "Black! You belong in black, not navy blue."

Severus smirked. "Yes, well, at least it's not lime green like the healers have to wear." He laughed as Hermione made a face akin to sucking on a lime.

"So you won't work with me, but you'll go to dinner with me?" Severus asked as she looked over her menu.

"So it seems," Hermione drawled.

"Hmm. That's completely opposite of the vast majority of the world."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm a contrarian. What can I say?"

Severus laughed. "Do I get to steal research from you while you're here?"

"Depends, Severus. Are you paying?"

Severus nodded and smiled.

"Well, that's completely opposite of the vast majority of men that have asked me for dinner, so sure! Steal away..." Severus laughed, and she continued. "But you have to answer my question, first. I'm doing some research of my own."

"I know that look. Rita Skeeter wrote an excellent book, if you're that curious," Severus scowled.

"I loved that book. I especially liked the part about how she still debates whether or not you truly survived the Final Battle. Gripping chapter. But I want to ask you something else."

Severus waved his hand toward her in a gesture of acquiescence.

"Why do you only answer every third letter that Harry writes?"

"Oh no. He actually knows the pattern? Did you tell him?"

Hermione laughed. "No, believe it or not, he is smart enough to figure out a linear pattern."

"I know," Severus replied. "He sends me two very funny letters with obtuse, fictional stories about his life and made up gossip, and then the third letter is all real life, and a question for me to answer. It started because at first I would only give in and answer every third letter out of exasperation."

"Why do you answer any of them?"

Silence hung in the air for a moment as Severus and Hermione looked at each other in contemplation.

"Why are you having dinner with me?" he asked seriously.

Hermione thought for a long moment before she answered. "Because you're different than the professor that I knew five years ago. But I didn't know you five years ago, actually, did I?"

"There's your answer. I am different. I am different than your _perception_ of me five years ago. And I am different than I _was_ five years ago. Harry is a persistent person, to say the least. I wouldn't say we're great friends, but he now knows me better than 'the vast majority of the world.' And I now know him pretty damn well, too. I know what they're going to name their son, and I know who the godfather will be, as well as the godmother." At this, he smiled softly at her and received a smile back. "I do have a normal life. I do have some friends. Not a vampire. I think Skeeter wrote about that in Chapter ten."

Hermione laughed. "Do you tell Harry the truth?" she asked, not unkindly.

"About myself? Yes. About his parents and Sirius and Remus? No. But Harry knows that."

Hermione looked confused. "You lie?"

"No, I don't lie! I make up completely fictitious stories, and they're completely biased against Sirius, if you must know."

"Why do you do that?"

"Because, Hermione! I answered him honestly the first dozen times; I truly did. And in those letters I exhausted everything I knew about James and Lily, plus Albus and everyone else. And I told Harry as much. But he still wants to write to me, so we started our back and forth. It works."

"But you're so interesting as a real person! Your letters are the highlights of my month. Wouldn't it be better to just talk to you about normal things? Let go of some of the past?" she asked, shaking her head in wonder.

He kept his expression neutral, but inwardly, he was shaking his head in wonder, too. Only a handful of people in the world thought Severus was 'interesting.' But for some reason, Hermione found him interesting enough to come to dinner with him while she was actively trying to avoid the whole of the wizarding world. The thought confused him, but made him happy.

"Enough about my life, fictitious or otherwise," he answered, effectively ending this line of questioning. "Tell me about what you are researching."

Severus thoroughly enjoyed listening to Hermione talk about her latest research. They talked and discussed research and some new findings in potions for hours before they realized that the muggle pub was quickly emptying.

"Severus Snape, thank you for dinner," Hermione said in a playfully formal voice.

"Hermione Granger," Severus replied, "will you come work with me?"

"No," Hermione answered, smiling.

Severus smirked and nodded and then helped her with her coat. They walked outside in companionable silence. They walked around the corner and said their goodbyes and Severus watched Hermione disapparate from the alleyway where they had been standing. He shook his head fondly, and disapparated.

Severus willed the clock in his lab to move more quickly. An unopened potions textbook lay on his desk, but he knew it would be useless to dive into the text tonight. He was meeting her in an hour, so it was really too early to go to the restaurant. But he didn't want to go home, either.

"You're in trouble, Hermione," Severus teased as Hermione finally arrived and slipped into her chair. He noted how pretty her hair looked pulled up. It was probably too hot to wear down, he guessed.

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"You told Harry that I was a normal human being."

Hermione laughed. "He was bound to figure it out eventually. I just shaved off a decade or so of inane letters. Is that so bad?"

"Yes! I was just about to tell him the scandalous story about Professor McGonagall finding Remus and Sirius on the Astronomy Tower," he began, but stopped when Hermione's eyes went as large as saucers and hit his arm playfully.

Severus smirked. "Now, I'm stuck discussing horribly dull stuff like research at St. Mungo's and the escalating conflict in the United States. I'm forced to treat him like he's a semi-intelligent Auror. And you know I hate that."

"No doubt! How will you survive?"

"Well, I did find one interesting topic to discuss with Harry," he said innocently.

Hermione raised her eyebrows in question.

"You," Severus said baldly.

"What about me?" Hermione asked warily.

"I asked if Harry thought you would ever consider returning to our world. Imagine my surprise when I found out that you didn't leave."

Hermione cringed. "Yes, well…" she began non-committedly.

"I thought you were living in a charming muggle town outside London looking for a job teaching Chemistry at a secondary school or picking out a good doctoral program."

"I never said that's what I was doing!"

"I know," Severus replied. "You never said anything. I just assumed. Where are you?"

"I am living in the basement of Grimmauld Place with Harry and Ginny."

"No, I knew that part… I meant mentally. Where are you?"

Hermione looked pensive. "I am currently without country, mentally."

Severus smirked. "What are you waiting on? The last time we talked, I thought you already had one foot out of the wizarding world's door."

"Honestly?" Hermione began. After Severus nodded, she continued, "I don't want to leave the wizarding world, but I just don't understand. Until I can understand, I can't leave, and I can't stay. I'm a mess."

He smiled at her. "Good."

"You're happy that I'm a mess?" she asked, with a mock look of anger.

"Absolutely. At one point, working with me will look like an excellent option. Hermione Granger, will you come work with me?"

"No," she replied flatly and then grinned.

"It was worth a shot."

Hermione smiled at him, a true smile that he found captivating, and he filed it away in his memory, along with her other smiles.

"I heard about Lauren," Hermione said, changing the subject.

Severus nodded. "They need her there. She'll be very useful."

"Do you miss her?"

"Very much," Severus said honestly. "She doesn't have many friends, on either side of the pond, and I can tell she's lonely."

"Is she in danger?"

Severus' brow furrowed. "It's hard to measure danger. She does fieldwork here; she's doing fieldwork in the States. So far, it hasn't escalated very far, but there are skirmishes. If it goes as far as a civil war, it will be very dangerous for her."

They closed down the pub once again that night and he escorted her to the alleyway where they could disapparate.

Every month, they had a standing date. They would have dinner, she would refuse his job offer and they would talk about everything under the sun. Between monthly dinners, her owl was a common sight in his home. But every month, he watched her disapparate away. He dreaded watching her leave. And every time, he wondered if that would be the last time.


	3. Fall's Glow

Disclosure: JK Rowling created and rightfully owns Harry Potter. I simply aim to give you a few happy minutes watching football practice, as we imagine our favorite book characters living on past Deathly Hallows.

**Chapter 3 Fall's Glow**

Hermione had a calculating look as she sat down in the booth across from Severus. "Still a Slytherin," she said in lieu of a greeting, then smiled.

"To the core," he replied, then added, "Hello, Hermione."

"You had Samuel transferred to be with Lauren in the States."

"I did no such thing," Severus said innocently. "I am not in the Auror department. Obviously."

"Obviously. You are but a lowly brewer," she began theatrically, "who out of the generosity of your heart created an exceptionally good potion to alleviate heartburn, which just so happens to be safe for pregnant witches."

"Harry mentioned that Ginevra was being kept up at night," Severus continued in his innocent voice, then smiled slightly.

"And you may have mentioned something to Harry about Lauren and Samuel."

"I have to put something into my letters," he commented lightly.

Hermione nodded. "You are a very sweet man."

"Not sweet, Hermione," he replied, looking into the distance over her right shoulder. He returned his eyes to Hermione's. "No one should fight alone."

Hermione nodded, and they stared at each other for a few moments facing their own demons before Hermione changed the subject. "Well, Ginny's happier, so everyone in the house is happier. So, thank you."

Severus nodded. They ordered dinner and got caught up on the last month of their lives. Severus listed to Hermione and mused for the hundredth time that while he didn't get Hermione as a colleague, he might have found something even better.

A large part of him still wanted Hermione as a colleague. But over the last months, he decided that he cared more about Hermione as a person, as a friend. She had become so much more than her resume'. He had always valued the few friends that could see him as more than his Dark Mark, as more than his role as a spy. Hermione was one of those few, those precious to him. He tried to ignore the clenching in his gut as he knew that simply calling her precious was lying to himself.

"I have an idea for you," he told Hermione as they finished up dinner.

Hermione's face lit up. "About my research?"

"Merlin, no. You're attempting the impossible," he teased. "I meant your other problem."

"An idea of how to restore my image in the Wizarding world?" Hermione asked dubiously.

"I know. It is a bit like the blind leading the blind, I admit it," Severus said dryly.

"I'll bite. What is your idea?"

"Work with me."

Hermione laughed. "You've asked me to work with you for months now. How is this different from the last times? Now, it's for my benefit?"

Severus smiled at her. "Well, I was going to ask you again anyway. But I really have been thinking about it. I think I know why you're not satisfied, Hermione." Hermione scowled at him. He met her scowl with a matching scowl. "You would be long gone and I would be trying to find you in another country if you didn't want it."

Hermione's scowl did not let up at these words. "Want what?" she asked darkly.

"To be accepted."

Hermione looked away. He waited until she looked at him again and gave him a resigned nod.

"You have not given back to the wizarding world," he began, but quickly reached across the table to take hold of her hand when it looked like she was about to reach for her wand. "No, listen, Hermione. This is not what I think! I know you have. You went to war for them. You were tortured for them. They are idiots. But for some godforsaken reason, both you and I want the approval of these complete idiots. So listen to me!"

Hermione closed her eyes and let out a breath that she was holding. "I'm listening."

"You are the brightest witch to ever go through Hogwarts, but did not return to teach."

"It's too boring," Hermione began.

"Agreed," Severus answered, and squeezed her hand. "You did not go to work at the Ministry," he continued.

"Those imbeciles could not find their arses with a map and a flashlight."

"Again, agreed."

"I got a degree in Potions, for crying out loud!"

"Yes," Severus said quietly and intensely, "instead of doing a traditional apprenticeship. And you went to a muggle university to do it and you also got the equivalent muggle degree. The same for your degree in Healing. All of this says, 'Hey, thanks for all of that wand-waving knowledge. Now I'm off to save the muggles!'"

"That is not true!" Hermione grabbed her hand away from Severus' to run it through her hair in exasperation.

"Hermione! Stop fighting me like I'm the one saying this drivel! I know the truth, Hermione." The pain and anger he could see in Hermione's face made his chest tighten.

"Maybe we are the idiots, Severus! Why do we want the good opinion of a world that scorns us both?"

"Because at the end of the day, we are magical. We know we can never fully belong in the muggle world. I know that without a doubt," he said tiredly. "My mother tried it and it was a disaster." He sighed and ran his hands through his hair, too, in an odd echo of Hermione. He sat up once more and sighed. "We are apparently eternal optimists, hoping that one day the wizarding world will live up to our lofty expectations of not being complete arses."

"Yes, Severus, that's exactly how I describe you to my friends. There's Severus, the eternal optimist."

"Have you always been this sarcastic?" he asked, raising one eyebrow.

"No, it took years and years of sarcastic remarks on my potions essays to get this good, but I had an excellent professor."

"Lucky you," he replied darkly.

"Lucky me."

Severus and Hermione looked at each other for a long minute, both visibly frustrated, but not with each other. Severus took a deep breath and asked the same question for the last time. "Hermione Granger, will you come work with me?"

"Yes."

"Good," he answered levelly. He was suddenly surprised when he realized that he was about to reach across the table once more to hold her hand. He schooled his emotions blank, hoping that she had not noticed his very slight movement. He then looked at her seriously and leaned toward her slightly. Lowering his voice, he continued, "I am very, very close to a breakthrough on a potion to act as a vaccine to prevent dragon pox."

Hermione's eyes grew wide as she leaned closer to him. "No…" she whispered. "Are you serious?"

"Very," he replied. "I am so close, Hermione. You are going to help me finish it. There's never been a wizard vaccine for anything. We are going to publish it, together."

"I can't take your research and claim it as mine, Severus!"

"You won't be! I need help. I am at a dead-end, but with your understanding of biology," he began.

"My focus was micro-biology and viruses," she interrupted, stunned. "I can! I can help you!"

Severus nodded, excited that she was finally with him. "Years, Hermione. I've been working on this off and on for years, waiting for a partner. Waiting for you."

Hermione beamed. Severus knew that she was thrilled to be wanted.

"I'll start tomorrow," she said, thinking about the next fifty steps. She got out of her chair before she realized that she was still at dinner with Severus and quickly sat back down. "I'm so sorry! I got carried away. I'm so excited, Severus." She grabbed his hand, just as he had grabbed her hand earlier, surprising him. "Thank you, Severus."

After watching Hermione disapparate from the alleyway, he decided to go for a walk instead of simply apparating home. Over and over, he replayed in his mind Albus telling him that Lily was dead but Harry survived. Such a bizarre memory for his mind to couple with what happened tonight. But then again, in a small way it made sense, he mused. He was emotionally numb, just like that night so many years ago. Hermione was now a co-worker, which was a great thing. But if she had declined his job offer again, he had already decided to see if he could change their relationship from that of friends to lovers. She agreed to the job, however, and was now his co-worker; she now had a firm place in the wizarding world and someone to value her, mentor her, protect her. _Love lost, purpose gained._

The last time he felt like this, he spent a decade with a constant, painful reminder of the love he lost. And it wasn't until he survived the Final Battle that his purpose finally outweighed his pain. "Not again," he whispered, prayer-like, his breath visible in the chilly October air. "Please, not again."

**Author's Note: Thank you so much for the reviews! I love hearing from you!**


	4. Holiday Turkeys

Disclosure: JK Rowling created and rightfully owns Harry Potter. I simply aim to give you a few happy minutes on the car ride to Granny's house for Thanksgiving, as we imagine our favorite book characters living on past Deathly Hallows.

**Chapter 4: Holiday Turkeys**

"I cannot believe them!" Hermione fumed. She took the cup of tea from Severus.

Severus sat down beside her at their little table in the lab. Upon hiring Hermione, he quickly found that they had a better day together if they had tea together and talked over their day before they began brewing. Otherwise, Hermione felt like she had to interrupt him to ask questions and it put them into a very uncomfortable setting that was much too similar to when he was her professor.

The findings of their co-created dragon pox vaccine had recently been published in two international potions journals, and unanimously praised as brilliant and life saving. St. Mungo's was thrilled to have the vaccine and hoped to see the disease eradicated from the magical population. The morning's Daily Prophet, however, wrote that it was "possibly unsafe, totally untested and thoroughly muggle."

"You cannot be surprised, Hermione," Severus said dryly.

"Yes, I am! You said this would help my image. Not helping, Severus!"

Severus smirked. "The article says that you co-created a vaccine that will save lives. Yes, it says the other normal sensational things that it says every time a new medicinal potion is created, but surely this is a step up from calling you a tart."

Hermione scowled at him. "How can you take this so calmly?"

Severus returned her scowl. "Because frankly, Hermione, I've never been happier." The growl in his voice and dark look were completely incongruent to his words.

Hermione blinked in surprise. "Why are you so happy?"

"Two months ago, I hired a brilliant witch, and just like I said she would, she helped me complete a potion that will save lives. And, I now work in a lab with someone who: one, doesn't look at me like I'm about to hex her when her back is turned, and two, isn't a dunderhead and three, that I…" but he left it unfinished.

"What?" she asked curiously. "What's three?"

"I was going to say a good friend."

"Why did you stop?"

"Because you're not happy here, so it makes me wonder."

"I'm very happy, Severus!" Hermione said, surprised, reaching across the table to lay her hand on his arm.

"Yes, Hermione, a moment ago, you were the picture of happiness," he replied dryly.

"Well," she began, "it seems that nothing has changed, and people are still idiots, but I've changed. I am happy now, Severus." She paused, tentative. "I don't think about leaving any more."

Severus nodded. Inwardly, his spirit soared that he would no longer have to worry about her leaving.

"And you are most definitely my friend, Severus." She then got a devilish look on her face and added, "But that doesn't mean I don't think about hexing you in your back some times."

Severus laughed. "The feeling's mutual."

Weeks later, it was evident that Severus' plan to rehabilitate Hermione's image was not working. Quite the contrary, it was bringing Severus into Hermione's unflattering limelight. While this wasn't bothering Severus, he knew that it was weighing heavily on Hermione.

Severus moved closer to the open door of the adjoining lab to listen as he heard voices rising in anger.

"You're fired, Mr. Holland."

"You can't fire me! You have no just cause!"

At this, Severus moved fully into the lab. His emotions did not show on his face, but was shocked at what was playing out before his eyes.

Hermione also showed no emotion on her face as she calmly produced a parchment from thin air. "This is my documentation of your actions over the last month. Besides the fact that you consistently come in late and leave early, your insubordination gives me plenty of reason to fire you. Get out."

Mr. Holland glared at both Severus and Hermione. He drew his wand and Severus didn't draw his to match, but it was a close thing. For that split second, he was back in the war, trying to protect Hermione. It wasn't surprising that he was protective; that was natural. But what took Severus by surprise was the change in motive. The strong fire that erupted in his chest in that moment was not named, "duty." He watched as Mr. Holland vanished the contents of the potion he had been working on.

"I can get a job anywhere. But you're not going to find anyone to work in this lab." Mr. Holland then turned his attentions to his fellow co-workers. They had been listening, stunned. "You're all next." He stormed out of the lab, slamming the door behind him.

"Get back to work," Severus said, quietly, but sternly. He held the door open for Hermione, rolling his eyes when he heard the charmed jingle bell wreath that she insisted on hanging on their side of the door to celebrate Christmas, and she passed through to their private lab without a word.

Severus made sure that the door was closed. The silencing spell was barely in place before his eyes grew large. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "I did that for you! Have you ever listened to that prick? He says such hateful things about you! And he's the ringleader. You don't care what they say about you? Fine. But I won't listen to it."

"Potions, Hermione! I didn't hire him for his opinion about me. I hired him because he could turn out a decent potion."

"We still have four more brewers!"

"Yes, but we need eight to be fully staffed," Severus said heatedly. "They were barely keeping up. They'll never be able to keep up now. And more may follow. Did you hear yourself? He was the ringleader! Damn it, Hermione!"

"I don't care, Severus. You asked me, remember? You asked me to stay in this idiotic, backwards world that treats you and me like pariah. I'm staying, but I'm not satisfied being surrounded by idiots day in and day out and listening to them spew their venom around me."

Severus blinked when she said the word, "venom." Hermione gasped and quickly closed the gap between them, laying a hand on his arm in a gesture of apology. "I'm so sorry, Severus. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"You didn't hurt me," Severus said, looking at her hand on his arm. When his eyes found her eyes once more, he could read the sincerity in her eyes. Hermione was both a brilliant co-worker and a formidable ally.

She smiled at his words and gave his arm a squeeze before letting it go.

"We're going to have to take up the slack on the hospital's potions. And if more quit, which I think at least Miss Lowe will follow suit, it's going to mean a lot of extra brewing."

Hermione nodded. "It's worth it, Severus."

Severus nodded, and then went back to his cauldron. But his thoughts were not on the potion, but on the witch.

The next morning, Severus looked over his list of potions that needed to be completed for the hospital that day. He divided them up for his remaining four brewers, leaving some of the more complex potions for Hermione and him to complete later.

"That bad?" Hermione asked playfully as she entered their lab.

Severus looked up from the teapot with a furrowed brow.

Hermione pointed to the new blackboard, a copy of the one that existed in the junior brewing lab. It had the list of potions that Severus and Hermione needed to complete. "I've been relegated to dunderhead status? Complete with blackboard so that you don't have to talk to me?"

Severus chuckled. "Not yet. Consider it your warning."

Hermione smiled. "Duly warned. Should I start on these now?"

"No," Severus began. "Don't you want to work on your slides?" he asked, curious.

"Yes, of course, but that's a lot of potions, I..." she began, gesturing to the blackboard, but was interrupted.

"We," Severus corrected, handing over her morning cup of tea. "We will be working on those this afternoon, or whenever we both feel like it."

"You're making me feel horrible, Severus!" She sat in her normal chair and looked intently at Severus as he leaned against the counter, drinking tea.

Severus raised his eyebrow. "In what part of your 'idiotic, backwards world' that I have trapped you in, does me working on potions with you make you feel bad?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "I didn't mean to make extra work for you by firing him. I will do the potions."

"We," Severus corrected again, taking his last sip of tea and placing his cup into the sink. "Now, if you don't mind, I have a potion that dearly loves to explode if I don't pay attention, and you have a pandemic growing on glass to tend to."

Hermione smiled and after finishing her own tea, retreated to her corner of the lab to tend to her slides and microscope.

After the lunch hour, Severus reached a stopping point with his own potion. After documenting his work in his journal, he cleared his workspace and drew a cauldron down. He began making blood-replenishing potion, and watched Hermione. She was always engrossed in her work, and he loved watching her. Emotions would play across her face and he could always tell when she was about to make a discovery, or if she was stuck on a puzzling bit of information. Today, it was puzzlement.

"What is it, Hermione?" he asked, drawing her out of an hour-long research session where it seemed that her brow never relaxed.

"Oh, Severus!" she scolded, seeing that he had started on the list. "Why didn't you say something? You just let me keep going. You should have stopped me!"

"No, I shouldn't have. You looked like you were on to something. But I also happen to like your eyebrows."

"My eyebrows?" Hermione laughed, confused.

"Yes, and they were in danger of being permanently knit together by the force of your scowl."

"You are not one to tease about scowls, Severus. You perfected the art of scowling. I can only hope one day to have a scowl so serious that it makes First Years wet themselves."

Severus laughed. "Come help me with this list, and I'll help you perfect your scowl."

Hermione set up a cauldron next to his and began chopping ingredients for a very complex potion that was used for hex rashes. "What I really want to know is if you can teach me how to raise just one eyebrow and make a room duck for cover." At this she turned to look at Severus, who simply smirked and raised one trademark eyebrow.

Hermione laughed and put down her knife. She used one of her fingers to trace his eyebrow. She smiled at Severus, and he knew immediately that he could no longer deny his longing for the young woman in front of him. He wanted to grab her hand and kiss her pulse point, and then follow that kiss along her arm with no thought in mind to where the next kiss might lead. But he would not. He would not give up what he had built with Hermione here, in their lab, for what might be. "_Yet_," his mind amended. The previous day had created a sizable shift. He had not slept, replaying the incident with Hermione and Mr. Holland. He decided that he would not lose Hermione to another wizard without a fight. So far, three months into their working relationship, she had yet to mention going on a date. That knowledge, along with a handful of surprising blushes on Hermione's part, kept the status quo bearable.

"You have years to learn how to be intimidating. But I daresay that episode with Mr. Holland is adding to your reputation."

"Which reputation is that?" Hermione asked with mock wariness.

"Brilliant, but scary."

Hermione gasped. "How do you know about that?"

Severus smiled. "I'll never tell. Now tell me about your project. You've obviously made headway on your research."

That was all he needed to divert her attention away from him and onto her research. She began a lengthy discourse on some theories that she was exploring. Severus acted as a sounding board, asking pertinent questions as they talked. She then did the same for him about his project.

It was well after seven that night when they put away the last cauldron. Severus was checking the stasis spell on his potion when he turned to see Hermione check one of her slides in the microscope. He came up beside her and gently lifted her chin so that she was no longer looking into the microscope. "No you don't, Hermione."

"Excuse me?"

"You're not working. It's time to go home," Severus stated levelly.

"I want to check," Hermione began, but was interrupted as Severus took her hand and drew her out of her chair and inwardly reveled in seeing another beautiful blush on Hermione's cheeks.

"I know; you want to check just one more thing. And then just one more after that. I know you, Hermione. Now, come on. We're leaving. Both of us."

They walked down to the first floor of St. Mungo's together as they did every night. For the most part, they had learned to not let people's stares bother them, but tonight he could feel Hermione tense up beside him.

Severus leaned over to Hermione and whispered, "Don't fire everyone at St. Mungo's, Hermione. We do need a hospital."

Hermione narrowed her eyes in mock indignation at his teasing, but couldn't stop her smile and tucked her hand into Severus' elbow. It was the smile that he took so much joy in, from the first time she had ever smiled at him.

**Author's Note: Today is the Thanksgiving Day holiday in the United States. Have a blessed day, whether you are stateside eating turkey, or wherever you are around the world!**


	5. New Year's Fireworks

Disclosure: JK Rowling created and rightfully owns Harry Potter. I simply aim to give you a few happy minutes waiting for the batch of cookies to come out of the oven, as we imagine our favorite book characters living on past Deathly Hallows.

**Chapter 5: New Year's Fireworks**

Down now to two junior brewers, Severus and Hermione found themselves having two jobs. Their first jobs began after their morning tea, working as researchers using cutting edge techniques to try to solve some of the wizarding world's most complex problems. Their second jobs were brewing the stock potions that were continuously needed in St. Mungo's. Each afternoon, they took tea together again at their little table and then began brewing stock.

Severus had thought that he would hate the extra, monotonous brewing, since it was not challenging to either of them. He quickly changed his opinion, however, and it was becoming his favorite part of the day. They could talk and laugh together in these hours, gossip, discuss philosophy. The range of topics they discussed was dizzyingly varied at times. He never tired of talking to her; he never tired of seeing her get riled up over a topic that she was passionate about.

After walking away from Hogwarts, so much had changed for Severus. But these late night brewing sessions with Hermione made him realize how lonely he still was, something that was all too familiar from his days in the dungeons. Even friends like Lauren and Hermione did not change the fact that he went home to an empty house every night.

His musings of an empty house were interrupted by Hermione's quiet voice. "Severus?"

"Yes?" he answered, watching the potion in his cauldron turn the appropriate shade of red.

"There's still something I don't understand about why people turned on me."

They hadn't talked about that in months. He looked at Hermione in surprise. "I thought you were happy. Are you still upset?"

"No, no, not really," she answered honesty. "I just thought of something last night when I went home."

He nodded and encouraged her to continue.

"Everything started after I broke up with Ron. Why then?"

Severus put a stasis charm on both of their cauldrons and turned to face Hermione. "You breaking up with Ron did not change anyone's opinion of you, Hermione."

"But," she began, but Severus forestalled her interruption.

"Rather," he continued, "your relationship with Ron was what was keeping most of the criticism at bay."

"What?" she asked, confused.

Severus sighed. "You were dating Ron Weasley. No matter what people thought about you or your heritage, or your muggle degrees, at least you were going to be a Weasley one day."

"And?" she challenged, her eyes hardening.

"And you were sure to have a great number of magical children and help grow our population," he said levelly. There was no way to put that delicately, or phrase it in a way that was not going to upset her.

Hermione blanched instead of turning red like he suspected she would. "So my uterus was valuable, but not me…" she whispered.

Severus closed his eyes as her pain radiated over him. "That's not the truth, Hermione. Nothing they've ever said about you is the truth."

Hermione nodded and went back to brewing. Hermione was in her own world and the lab was now stiflingly quiet, no longer filled with the conversations that he coveted.

He began to prepare the burn paste like always, but between the fact that it was a simple potion and the fact that it was near midnight, his thoughts drifted to the New Year. After a while, the rhythm and quiet of the lab threatened to lull him to sleep, but a rough chopping sound kept drifting in and out, bothering him like a fruit fly buzzing near his ear at bedtime. The chopping sound became so irregular, that he was forced to look around to see who was chopping in such a manner. He chided himself for such a ridiculous question. There were only two people brewing in the lab. There were only _ever_ two people brewing in the lab: himself and Hermione.

He walked toward Hermione's station, but she was too engrossed in her own thoughts and her chopping, or butchering, rather, that she did not hear him. He stood behind her and calmly wrapped his arms around her and took care to hold each wrist at the same time, stilling her silver blade and keeping her from spinning around in fright and hurting him. He continued to hold her wrists as she let out a long sigh. Severus chuckled out loud and he could feel Hermione tense.

"What is so funny?" she asked, perturbed.

"I was just remembering something funny from my days as a student. We were studying a rare tebo, quite dangerous. Someone dared our classmate to tackle it, which he stupidly did, causing it to turn invisible. Then, when he realized his stupidity, he yelled, 'I have it! Now what?'"

He could feel Hermione release her tension and laugh. She sighed and leaned back against his chest. His chest physically ached at having this woman's trust and he moved his hands from her wrists to rub her arms. She turned around to face him and he let his arms fall, taking a step back, mourning the loss of her skin.

"Why are you so upset about what I told you? I should not have told you," he trailed off.

"No, I've needed to know for a long time." She paused. "You know I needed to know."

"Then why is it so upsetting? Are you still in love," he began, but her annoyed look that she usually reserved for the dunderhead brewers next door stopped him from finishing that question.

"I didn't want Ron, and now no one wants _me_," she stated baldly.

She could not have shocked him more. He stood there unable to form a coherent thought, save one: this was it. This was the point of no return. He could either let her operate under her ridiculous notion that he would not worship the ground she walked on if given half the chance; or he could tell her the truth and risk losing her. Losing everything. Again.

"You don't believe that's true. And I know it's not true, Hermione."

There was an uncomfortable silence as they stared at one another. Severus felt that she was rejecting him, just as she had rejected working with him so many times before. In a feeble attempt to salvage their working relationship, he moved back to his potion. He released the stasis spell and tried to hide the fact that he didn't even know what he had been brewing. Burn paste, yes. He needed to add the lavender stems. He was desperately trying to remember how many lavender stems, but there were too many thoughts flooding his mind: Hermione, St. Mungo's, the feel of her soft skin.

Hermione carefully added six lavender stems to Severus' cauldron. He had the sudden thought that no one had ever dared to add an ingredient or cast a stasis spell upon, or do anything else, to one of his cauldrons. He looked over at her, confused, wondering if he should be angry, and trying to tamp down any ray of hope that he was allowing into his brain.

As he looked at her, she simply sidled in between him and the workbench. He stood closely behind her, unmoved, watching her delicate hands as she stirred the potion. The burn paste began to steam. It turned the perfect shade of grey and Hermione doused the flame and removed the stirring rod to let it cool and thicken overnight. But instead of moving out of the way, she stayed, her body perfectly still, between Severus and the workbench. Severus had the fleeting thought that he shouldn't touch her, but he couldn't stop his hands from reaching around, just as he had done earlier. He caressed her hands and then moved to caress her arms. She leaned back against him again. He brought his face down to the side of hers.

He whispered silkily to her, "You know the truth, Hermione. You know how I want you." She sighed softly and nodded. "All of you, Hermione."

Whether consciously or unconsciously, Hermione bared her neck to him, slightly. Severus needed no further invitation and moved his lips to kiss the side of her neck. "Yes," she whispered.

Severus continued to kiss her neck softly while moving his arms around Hermione in a caress. "Hermione Granger," he began, but he stopped his question and stepped back slightly to allow her to turn around in his arms. She placed her arms around his neck and moved to pull his head down to hers.

"Yes," she whispered again, kissing him.

He deepened the kiss and drew her tighter to himself. He left her mouth to kiss her neck once more. "I haven't finished my question," he teased silkily.

"The answer's 'yes'," she replied. She placed her hands on Severus' neck and gently turned him to look at her. "Yes." She clasped her hands behind his neck once more and laughed as he raised her off of the ground a few inches as he kissed her.

"Good," he said softly, putting her back down on the ground. He drank in her smile and the feel of her body. Hermione would soon begin thinking through the next fifty steps, so he allowed himself this moment to simply swim in the feeling of holding her. It was a new year.

**Author's Note: One more chapter left: the Epilogue. We are the people of "Epilogue, what epilogue?" so sometimes I think it's ironic for me to publish one. But there are loose ends to be wrapped up, don't you think?**

**Thank you again for all of the kind reviews!**


	6. Epilogue: September's Transformations

Invincible Summer

Disclosure: JK Rowling created and rightfully owns Harry Potter. I simply aim to give you a few happy minutes when you need a break from real life, as we imagine our favorite book characters living on past Deathly Hallows.

**Epilogue: September's Transformation**

"You look like shit," Lauren said. She leaned on Samuel as they walked slowly toward Hermione and Severus.

"Well, that's an improvement over your first opinion of me," Hermione said, as she smiled at Lauren.

Severus shook Samuel's hand and then hugged Lauren. "How are you?" Severus asked as they sat down at a table in the Portkey Office.

"Miserable. We're glad to be back, though," Lauren replied, looking at Samuel, who nodded. She then looked at Hermione. "I'm the one who was crucioed. Why do you look as bad as I do?"

"Be nice," Severus chided. "She's been up all night brewing for you."

"For me?" Lauren asked, looking at the dark circles under Hermione's eyes.

"Yes," Hermione answered, reaching into the pocket of her robe and drawing out a small purple vial. "This is a potion to help with the cruciatus spasms."

"They make her sick," Samuel explained when Lauren shook her head.

"I know," Hermione replied. "It seems that the normal potion works well for wizards, but it makes witches horribly nauseous. Yes?" she asked kindly.

Lauren nodded. "And you made a potion for witches?" When Hermione nodded and smiled proudly, Lauren turned to Severus. "Did you help, Severus?"

"No. The old potion works fine," he deadpanned, which received glaring looks from both Hermione and Lauren.

Lauren took the vial from Hermione and swallowed it. After a moment, Lauren visibly relaxed. "Much better. Thank you, Granger."

"Granger?" Hermione asked, incredulous. She laughed and looked at Severus. "You did tell her in your letters that I am a nice person, right?"

"Those must have been the letters she never received," Severus teased. "Trust me, that's the nicest name for you yet!"

They all laughed.

"Yes, well," Lauren began, "I promised Severus that I would be nice to you, seeing as you two are tying the knot in three months."

Hermione laughed. "I also expanded our flat and put in a second bathroom, complete with a huge sunken bathtub," Hermione teasingly bribed Lauren.

"Oh, Merlin, Severus! You even taught her to raise just one eyebrow. I guess it's love," Lauren said in a voice of mock disgust.

Severus chuckled. "At this moment, I'm glad you and Samuel only need to stay with us for one week. I'm not sure I can handle two strong-willed females in one house. Samuel, we are severely outnumbered."

Samuel groaned playfully, and Hermione rolled her eyes at Severus.

"Are we even going to see you this week?" Lauren asked. "Or are you two still brewing around the clock?"

"No," Hermione began, "things are much better at St. Mungo's. We're even going to take a day off while you and Samuel are here."

Lauren raised her eyebrows in surprise. "How? Did you hire new village idiots?"

Severus laughed. "No; no village idiots this time. Hermione and I talked to the Chief Healer and in June, we started a medicinal potions program for students just out of school, or people who wanted to change careers. We had six people sign up. Five made it through the program and were hired, so we're almost fully staffed."

"And," Hermione added, "they are grateful to have a job, and don't hate us, so that's a first!"

"It also helps that Minister Shaklebolt's nephew went through the program. For some unknown reason," Severus said innocently, "Hermione and I aren't very interesting to the Daily Prophet anymore and they are leaving us alone."

"That's wonderful," Samuel said solemnly. He then turned to look at Lauren and then back at Severus. "Your brewers aren't the only people that are grateful for your help."

Severus tensed slightly, still unaccustomed to being thanked for his generosity. Hermione squeezed his hand under the table in reassurance.

"Are you two ready to go home?" Hermione asked brightly.

Everyone stood from the table and Severus helped steady Lauren as she rose from her chair. When Hermione was out of earshot, she conspiratorially whispered to Severus, "Damn you, Severus!"

"What?" he asked darkly, chuckling.

"I like her," Lauren replied, scowling, taking Severus' arm for support.

Hermione and Samuel walked ahead to the apparition point in the Portkey Office as Hermione told Samuel that she would take him to the flat via side-along apparition, and Severus would bring Lauren.

Severus looked fondly at Hermione as he walked slowly, supporting Lauren. "Me, too."

Severus and Lauren watched as Hermione and Samuel waved back at them and disapparated with a loud crack.

Just as Severus was about to twist them into nothingness, he looked at Lauren and smiled, "And to think, I have you to thank for Hermione."

The people at the Portkey Office looked to one another in confusion when Lauren's loud exclamation of "Shit!" replaced the usual crack of apparition as Severus and Lauren vanished.

**Author's Note: Thank you for reading my story. Thanks for the fun, encouraging, "KISS HER, DAMMIT", insightful, generous reviews that let me know that you're out there having fun right along with me!**


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